THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 1909. BROKEN DOWN.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3100, 25 January 1909, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 1909. BROKEN DOWN.

It must surely be apparent to the whole Dominion that the arbitrationconciliation system has completely broKen down so far as exercising, in the future, any beneficial effect on industry is concerned. Some years ago the late Mr Seddon told the Labour Unions that they were riding the Act to death, but heedless of the warnings of wise men, the hulk of the workers have allowed themselves to be lead on by agitators from one step to another, until a very grave situation has been reached. Not only are many industries languishing as the result of

stringent awards, and unnecessary iabour legislation, but there is a distinct tendency, manifesting itself more ciearly as the years go by, on the part of capita!, to withdraw from all industrial concerns. There are men out of work ail over the country—and there will be many more yet, for it is absurd to suppose that the phenomenally prosperous years, which New Zealand experienced until recently, will return again immediately, if they ever come back. Owing to a combination of causes, this country hid a phenomenal run of good fortune, and that was the period when both labour and capital should have seen the necessity of preparing for a rainy day, but in the condition of affairs referred to the Trades Unions could see nothing but prospects of obtaining high wages and shorter hours at the employers expense—in some cases to his ruination —and now that the wheel of fortune has turned against us it will gradually dawn upon Labour that the weakening of Capital was an absolutely suicidal policy in their own interests. As we have often pointed out, the real test of the Arbitration Court, in fact, of the whole conciliation and arbitration system, will come when a wave of genuine depression, and we cannot be sure that we may not experience such at any time, strikes New Zealand. When wages in the interests of the masses have to fall, then the value of the system will be revealed in its true light. Such a condition of affairs may not come about —we trust it never will —but when we know that wages are fixed without regard to what industrial businesses can afford to pay, we are inclined to think that it will be only a matter of time before there are very serious labour troubles. Every fair-minded man likes the worker to earn good wages—the best obtainable, but it does not follow that high wages are necessary either to the worker's advantage or good for the country at large. For instance, if every man earned a pound per day, and worked only four hours for it, one would, perhaps, conclude that the workers were having a gooi.l time of it, but for how long could such a state of affair 3 last, even in New Zealand, and what would be the workers' position afterwards? The present labour difficulty at Huntly emphasises that the Government are worse than useless, and considerably less than tair, in arbitrating betwean Capital and Labour. With a degree of desperateness, born of the fear that their own safety is in danger, the Government are cutting an undignified figure in endeavouring to foice arbitration on the miners and employers: It seems as though the Minister fnr Mines had succeeded, but the success will be only temporary, and a settlement arrived at cn the basis suggested by a Crown Minister will be no more permanent than any other agreement, or award, if the miners take it into their heads to ignore it. It would be well, in the interests of the country, if the Government were to stand aside and let Capital and Labour have a few healthy struggles—the result would be lessons that each side would remember with respect.